In September 1615 three whale-hunting vessels from the Gipuzkoa district in Spain were shipwrecked in Iceland, right about the time when they were preparing for their return journey. 83 crewmembers survived the storm, but 31 were killed in the following days.

Jón Guðmundsson (1574–1658) wrote an unbiased report on the slaying, and as a result he was declared an outlaw in his own country. This edition contains the complete translation of Jón’s report, as well as an introduction by Icelandic historian Már Jónsson.